


The Grass is Always Greener (Sometime Else)

by trashformostthings



Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: God I love Nil so much but he's probably gonna end up with like 2 cameos, I'm updating when I can I have uni lmao, LET US DATE PETRA IN THE SEQUAL, Lmao if i'm too wordy let me know, Major Original Character(s), Maybe??? kinda, OR MAYBE VARL, Original Character(s), Petition to make Sylens a killable character in the sequel : ), Self-Insert OC, Self-indulgent fic leave me to write in peace plz, You know I'm right folks, broke: HZD 2 - woke: SUNKING SIMULATOR, original characters (minor), please, say it with me folks:, this fandom is dying, will update tags as I go along, will update when i can
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-09-29 13:39:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20436932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trashformostthings/pseuds/trashformostthings
Summary: (Old summary) Aloy is called to Meridian and told that the Forbidden West now has some new animals and new machine behaviors that need investigating. She accepts but for the life of her could never guess what was beyond the map.-What is left of the Old Ones are ruins and technology, Aloy has been exploiting ever since HADES. She's been looking for something, anything, to help her revive GAIA and understand the past. It wasn't until she got a call for help from Meridian did she find a direction - the Forbidden West, now crawling with new machines and new creatures, and it raises more questions than before. And it only takes a little digging to figure out where - or *who - this all came from.





	1. To Meridian

Aloy was tired but pressed on in the western deserts. It was hot, boiling hot in the summer out here by Free Heap (and how the Oseram got anything done in the already-heated metal-working rooms, was a mystery she would probably never find out). Even as the sun was setting and its rays were spreading out to create bright pinks infused with golds and reds to make a masterpiece, Aloy found that she was just about ready to drop, make camp, and sleep. She had been running errands for the Oseram all day (see: Petra) - fighting a small group of bandits, retrieving some metal parts, testing out a more advanced prototype of Petra's hip-busting weapons (and Aloy could already feel the soreness of the exercise). It wasn't to say she didn't enjoy it - after the battle at the Spire and HADES's retreat, everything had been fairly peaceful, or at least, the threats she dealt with weren't world-ending. Everything felt so anticlimactic after, and she found that while she was worried sick about everything as the battle transpired it was coupled with so much anticipation and adrenaline that it simply couldn't be recreated through picking metal scraps apart. Now, a few years after, Aloy found herself doing odd jobs here and there; never really staying in one place, never really dedicating her time to one tribe. In the times that she wasn't around doing errands, she was re-visiting Cauldrons, sneaking in Horizon: Zero Dawn's HQ and GAIA Prime, and scrounging the Ruins in search of information, any of it. She had gotten the gist of Elizabeth's creations but there was so much more to GAIA than she knew - knowledge that could soothe her curiosity of the Old ones and maybe give her some greater purpose or goal. Sometimes she would visit CYAN and talk but there wasn’t much to discuss since Aloy know more about the Old Ones than CYAN ever did.

The sun had set when Aloy decided to settle down for the night. Had she the energy, the trip to Meridian would have taken the night and she would be there in the morning, but Aloy *didn't* have any energy. She hardly bothered with fire - a few strips of dried meat was well enough to soothe her stomach. Perhaps if she wanted to, she could override amount in the morning and ride her way to Meridian in half a day, but decided against it. It was strange to her, to override any machine when now they wouldn't even look in her direction, lest hurt her. It felt...wrong, to capture a machine now. She couldn't quite put her finger on it and settled on excusing her (in)action because she didn't really have a need to speed around these lands, not when the most pressing matter was if a shipment was on time or some bandit rumors.

Aloy's body was aching by the time she was snuggled in, but her mind was restless. She found that one of the best ways to combat it was to think of watchers jumping over logs, one at a time, and count them until her mind had settled. Tonight, however, that simply didn't seem appealing, so instead of watchers, Aloy turned her body to face the stars. It was only partly cloudy tonight and as the night moved on the wind picked up and it became a bit chilly. Now that she was away from Free Heap she found it was easier to see the stars, and with the moon blackened out they had dusted the sky with glittering specks of color. Aloy knew the lands were a part of a large sphere - a planet, Sylens had said- but that didn't really explain what the stars were. Were they spirits in the heavens looking down upon the living? Were they other, shiny planets? Or were they simply like the clouds - something high in the sky that they could only dream of touching? Aloy mused over this and slowly her head slowed down and her eyes began to droop. It was quiet, or as quiet as it could be out here with the bugs and Grazer grounds not too far from her. It was quiet.

And her dreams were not.

They never were, after the battle, or even after the Proving. The Spire was always in the background, always out of reach. Aloy would run anywhere and everywhere, trying to find *someone*, or *something*. Sometimes she could put a name to the faces she saw. Sometimes she would be chasing GAIA. Sometimes she would be looking Avad and find him beaten and bloody because she couldn't get to him in time. Sometimes it would be Nil, hunting her. Sometimes it would be Starvalley, her first and favorite mount, that would buck her off and stomp on her until she was dead and couldn't fulfill her duties as a Seeker. And sometimes...sometimes she would dream of Rost being taken from her again, in every which way imaginable. But dream Aloy always had an end goal - get to the Spire, and stop HADES. And she could never do it.

Tonight was no different.

Her starting point was the mesa not far from Meridian, where she took town Glinthawks to allow a Banut hunter peace of mind. The Spire was there, somehow incorrectly past Meridian to the north. She tried to get down from the cliffs but the ghosts of the Glinthawks kept shooting, diving at her. She didn't have a bow, and a spear couldn't do much. It was eerily silent - just the squawking, shrilling sounds of Glinthawks. No explosions or yelling or fires like during the Battle of the Spire. Just silence. It was more unnerving than if there was a real fight that she couldn't reach. A claw swiped at her and she ducked back - off the mesa somehow, and fell.

She woke up right before she hit the ground.

Aloy never knew how her mind could conjure the feeling of free-falling like that, since other than rappelling she hardly went out of her way to jump off high grounds. She wasn't sweating, just filled with dread, and sat up in her bag. The buzzing in the air and the dew that was going to set signaled the rise of the sun. She should get going now, and she might even be able to get to the jungle before noon starts and the heat really sets in. It was a quick breakfast of (surprise) more dried meat, and after tucking everything away into pouches Aloy set off, just as the sky began to change. It was still chilly, and so Aloy found it necessary to move faster to keep warm (she wore her survivor heavy, which helped a little). Past the arches (and the Thunderjaws), through the small valleys, and as the sun was a quarter up the sky and the dew not really gone yet, Aloy reached the outskirts of Meridian.

It was always a bit strange, now, to see the small clearing where all the traders and farmers had all their goods. Now, of course, everything had been moved into the city and into the market, and now all that was left in the clearing were holes and depressions in the ground where the carts and tents stood (and the occasional goose). The bridge that led to Meridian's mesa was now far more busy with actual people and not just guards; people passing wanted the morning chores over just as quickly as she did before the sun went fully overhead. The streets were even more crowded when she went in (breezing past inspection, one of the perks of being favored in the king's court). A quick turn to the right, to the palace, found the person who had summoned her there in the first place.

"Aloy of the Nora." Marad greeted.

“Aloy despite the Nora.” Talanah, who had been leaning on a pillar, corrected. “Greetings, Thrush.” She smiled.

“Greetings, Hawk.” It was a little joke between them. “I didn’t know you were joining us.”

Marad coughed slightly. “He asked me to accompany you to the king.” Talanah grinned. “I was personally summoned, you see.” 

Aloy rolled her eyes, and Marad gestured to the bridge that led to the palace. “Let’s walk and talk, shall we, ladies?”

There wasn’t much time to talk as the palace bridge was much shorter than the main one just beside it. “Do you know what you and I are being summoned for?”  
The Sunhawk shook her head. “No. All I got in my letter was ‘come quick and come prepared’.”

Aloy sighed. “Bad sign number one.”

As they took the steps up in the palace Talanah threw Aloy a look. “After we’re done talking with the king, I want to catch up. You've been gone for months! I want to know what you've been doing back east."

Aloy internally smiled at the notion. "If I can make it."

"You're always so busy."

Aloy would have responded but Erend was standing to the few steps up to the throne along with Avad, talking to his Vanguard and looking stressed. Aloy caught the words '...and don't leave the city - not to visit your families, not to drink ale outside of Brightmarket. We stay here in Carja settlements- Aloy! And uh, Sunhawk Talanah." There was relief in his voice and he looked about three seconds from fully embracing Aloy in his clunky armor. His eyes had bags under them and his face had a bandage - a fresh one, Aloy noted - on his forehead that narrowly missed his right eye and was essentially across his forehead, giving a very brief notion that it looked like a Carja headdress. "Aloy, you have no idea how happy I am to see you."

"Same here. Nice hair." He had only pulled his hair back in a ponytail since it had grown but it left a faint smile on Erend's face. "Thanks."

"Aloy. It is good to see you well."

Avad wasn't dressed in his ceremonial clothes, sure, but this wasn't his 'casual' outfit either. For one, he had a shirt and loose, comfy pants, and two, his head had been untangled from his headdress and allowed to be exposed to the sun. He didn’t have very long hair (something Aloy supposed would just make wearing the headdress insufferable) and it was dark, darker than anyone’s she’d ever seen. His face and posture were regal as always but he looked as tired in the face as Erend, if not more so. A small voice in the back of Aloy’s head found it incredibly amusing that Erend was a helmet away from being able to fight a Thunderjaw and Avad looked like he was about to go to bed.

“Avad. What was I summoned for?”

There was a flash of emotion in his eyes but Aloy couldn’t quite catch it. “I’m glad you could make it on such short notice. Please, come inside the palace, we’ll discuss it there.” He turned his head to Talanah. “Sunhawk, please join us.”

“Of course, your Luminance.”

“Marad, please lead the way.”

The room they were to have a discussion could have (and probably had been) a war room. There was a large table with chairs all around, and a detailed map of the all the lands (with not so much detail in the Sacred Lands, or the Cut). It was empty of furniture otherwise and full of light from the two wall-to-ceiling windows on the far wall that was formed by banners. Vanasha and Uthid were there.

“Oh, wonderful. The huntress and Sunhawk have arrived.” the spy smiled, shifting in her chair to face the newcomers. Uthid had opted in leaning against the wall and nodded as a greeting. Aloy noticed they were dressed for travel.

“Now that we are all here, I’d like to explain what this is all about.” Avad announced, moving near the head of the table. Aloy could see very much now, that he was tired. His voice was easier to hear in an enclosed room and there was a change in it she hadn’t heard before. Marad took his place near the Sun-King.

“We had reports not long after the Battle of the Spire that there were strange creatures that were appearing in the west. Far West.” Marad pointed to the uncharted (and forbidden) space past the edges of the lake. “We haven’t had very much of a problem with them, and while some are larger in size they haven’t hurt anyone that we know of, yet.”

“So no new machines? No Eclipse or bandits? No royal escort?”

Marad shook his head and gave Aloy a bit of a look at the new machines part. “No, but there are still machines involved. Some of our men have tried to hunt these creatures - for food, or sport, or curiosity, who knows - and machines nearby slaughtered them. There is a creature some have opted to call ‘wolves’ that are predatory, yes, but not to humans, and stay away from us. Yet a band of hunters go to find these wolves and only one comes back after a battle where there seemed to be two Scrapers for every wolf.”

“Strange. Do you think these creatures like the wolves - are they communicating with the machines?”

Another shake of the head. “The hunter managed to kill one wolf and bring it back - all meat and bones. No metal or wire to speak of. No comprehensible speech, just growls and yells that sounds similar to a Sawtooth, or Ravager.”

“So maybe these new creatures are being protected,” Talanah said. “Are any animals we know of, like boars or turkeys being protected?”

“Not that I’m aware of, no. The western gates hunt those animals all the time.” Uthid piped up.

Aloy stared at the western part of the map. There wasn’t any real space for more mapping. “Has anyone tried exploring the Far West? Tried looking for where these animals come from?” She knew about why the Forbidden West was called such, but surely after HADES the Carja had learned to put aside superstitions?

“While this has been happening for quite some time there was no real urgency. Strange behavior from the machines, but nothing serious, had we stayed clear of these new creatures. However, now it seems the machines protecting them are pressing forward to outlands, to the east, and the creatures follow. There has already been an attack at Shadow Wood and the guards have largely had to retreat, although there are is a camp not far from the gate to make sure nothing comes further.”

Aloy mulled over this for a few moments. “I have some more questions, but I feel that seeing this in person would give me a better perspective.”

“That is exactly what we were hoping for.” Marad agreed.

“Sunhawk, I ask that you provide hunters from your Lodge to assist my men at the Western border. After the Liberation, we were already spread thin trying to clear paths. Now we are short-staffed and spread even thinner. We’ve already commissioned many hunters to other gates, and an assembly of them at Shadow Wood would be a great help.” Avad said, and Talanah frowned. “I will try my best to distribute my hunters but that would leave Meridian with fewer warriors.”

“We are hoping that this situation will be handled before it can reach as far as Brightmarket, much less Meridian,” Marad said. He gestured to the spy and the general. “Vanasha and Uthid are here to assist in the distribution of supplies and warriors.”

“Aloy, is there anything we can help you with before you set off?” Avad asked, quite suddenly. Aloy’s knee-jerk reaction was to say no. She didn’t need anything - she’s spent her whole life training to fight for herself and then after HADES was defeated, she traveled by herself all over the map. But at that moment she realized, yes, she did have something she needed help with.

“No, I’m fine. How far is Shadow Wood?”

“Head to Brightmarket and take a boat - we’ll have one waiting,” spoke Marad. “Take is straight west until you get to the edge of the lake, and then some. Shadow Wood, despite its name, was made with pigmented bricks and many flashy banners, and so it won’t be hard to miss.”

“Our end goal is to figure out what is causing all this and to stop it. However, Aloy, if you should feel the need to make a different call, let us know.” Avad urged gently. “The Sun knows only how many times you’ve made the right decision.”

He meant it, and Aloy felt herself preen and shrink from the compliment - both proud of her hard-earned reputation and uncomfortable with the weight of the situation now on her shoulders. She thanked him, and the meeting was over, they all said goodbyes, and Aloy found herself on another adventure where she could not see the end - and all at once, as she exited the room with Talanah by her side and Avad’s gaze on her back, the feeling of anticipation and curiosity came forth and steeled her for the days ahead.


	2. To The Lodge

Talanah was more than happy to boss her hunters around, especially with Aloy, because there was a sweet sort of satisfaction that came ordering the people (mainly men) who hadn’t though very much of them before Redmaw.

“Eradis, get the blaze containers ready and send out the envoy as well as yourself.” The tall, burly-looking man clad in many Stalker trophies on his hip and shoulders, grumbled as he moved to pick up containers and load them onto the wagon. The Sunhawk turned to her Thrush, “He used to mess around with my good arrows and replace it with his shoddy ones. Ever since I set a standard for weapon composition and structure he’s actually had to spend time working, even buying arrows.” Aloy snorted. “He’s a good hunter, and those Stalker trophies are a few of the many he has. He’ll be an asset at the camp.”

Aloy leaned on the banister next to the dead Thunderjaw hanging and watched. There was so much movement, so many people all at once, and Talanah moved from her side to run around and make sure things were as they should be, helping instead of berating. The feeling of pride swelled in Aloy’s chest and she couldn’t help a small smile break free.

Talanah waved at her and Aloy moved to join her and a merchant half their size and twice their age. “A lot of Carja still can’t bring themselves farther than Brightmarket, and those still in Shadow Carja territory aren’t equipped for the trip out West. I mean, they’re also superstitious.” The merchant was rummaging around in his bag of wares, which was decidedly huge for a man of his stature, and idly Aloy wondered how he lugged that thing around. Talanah continued, “So while I’ll try to push my hunters so they’re at least close behind you, there’s no guarantee that we will be close enough to hear your call or if you sent up a normal flare. It took me forever, but I finally got Istaad to make you these.” 

Istaad the merchant seemed to pause, and then lift up three or four arrows, thicker in the shaft and with large ellipsoids at the tip, wrapped in scratchy fabric and had a wick sticking out. They were in different bright colors, and as Aloy took them into her hand, much lighter than she expected them to be. “They’re called X Flares, used very sparingly because the recipe for it is very...guarded, and they were used when the Carja of the past went around exploring. Each outpost from here to the East have only two, which are the black and red ones.” Aloy had blue, green, red, and black.

“How do they work?”

“The green one means ‘proceed’ if you’ve moved forward and you believe it’s safe, then you shoot it up for us and we know we can move forward - but since we’re not looking to claim land, use it only when you’re returning, so we know it is you.

The blue one clears the fastest and smallest and is used for determining distances or special landmarks. If you find anything you think we should check out, shoot it up and let us know - it can also be used to move us to a specific location if it’s close enough. You probably won’t use it.

The red one is for emergencies - use it if you think you’re in danger, or are already in. I believe you’re fully capable of fighting on your own, but it never hurts to aks for help.

The black one, I didn’t want to include but Marad insisted. It means ‘don’t come here, I’m not coming back.’ It’s used when the person is in grave danger and wants to make it clear the rest of us should not come near the area lest the same thing happens to us. It is a goodbye and a warning - and it has a large covering distance for good measure.”

“If I’m in such a bad situation, the chances of me getting my bow and shooting up aren’t very high.” Aloy mused, turning the bows every which way to inspect it better. The wick, though it would peek from the folds of the fabric it slinked back into the shaft of the 

Talanah shrugged, somber. “I think you should keep it anyway. In case. And I think it’s pretty telling the only arrow you acknowledged was the black one.”

Alopy shrugged and tucked the arrows away in her pack. “What can I say? I’m a realist.”

“If it keeps you alive. C’mon.” Talanah thanked Istaad and brought them both to the balcony on the second floor, overlooking the side of the mesa and Meridian on top. It was nearly dusk and whilst most of the work was still being done downstairs, the city itself was lighting up it’s torches. The priests brought themselves in place to sing the final song. It was all that should be in Meridian. 

“I’ve got to stay with the Lodge for this. I wish I could come with you, but…”

Aloy caught on. “People like Eridas. People like Ahsis. It had been years, and still people were reluctant of Talanah and her position. 

Talanah draped herself over the banister, looking towards the near sunset, the warm rays catching her armour and hair and eyes. “Yeah - I’ve proved myself again and again. I’ve made it easier to access the lodge, other clans can now join and there have been more women joining the past year than ever before. But not everyone wants change, y’know. But that's not what I was talking about.” The Sunhawk twisted herself to face Aloy, who had rested her hands on the banister but not quite leaning into it. “All I hear about my Thrush is that she’s always on the move. Always helping, always diving. Sticking her nose into places that don’t exist. Taking down every last Thunderjaw and Stormbird. And I’ve heard some interesting things from a very special Banut member.” Aloy rolled her eyes, feeling defensive. “Have you ever stopped once in all this time to, y’know, rest?”

“If I rest I might miss something - a fight or information.” Aloy said. And it was unspoken that she felt there wasn’t so much left for her, intrinsically, because between the people and looking for answers to remaking GAIA, she hadn’t a moment to think of what she might’ve wanted. Kids? Marriage? A lover, a partner? There was always a reason to be on the move, she couldn’t think of doing that to anyone she loved. She could hardly have done it to Rost if fate hadn’t taken him away from her.

“I’m not here to recommend a spa or tell you to bathe in mud and golden leaves. But I think that you shouldn’t have to go at it alone.”

Aloy mulled over that. She didn’t have to, really. But she had always done it alone - not because she didn’t think she couldn’t trust anyone else, but she didn’t know if she should. Who else had Alpha clearance? Who else could operate machines and technology as she did? There were many who could match her skill with a bow and many more that could take her down if they wanted to. But Aloy had a hunch that this new species and the rekindling of aggressive Scraper behavior had something to do with GAIA. Or maybe DEMETER. Or another CYAN.

“I know that look. You’re thinking something big in that brain of yours - don’t overthink my advice.” Talanah grinned. “You should think less and do more.”

“All I do is, well, do.” Aloy laughed, and at last relaxed to lean her forearms on the banister. “But I’ll think about it. I’m not sure who I would partner up with on this, honestly,” she confessed.

“Well I’m off the market, so is Erend and Uthid. I don’t Vanasha is suited for this, and the Nora are still consistent in staying in the wild, right?” Aloy nodded. “Well, surely you can think of a few more.”

The Battle of the Spire was long ago and even though she felt a little guilty, she couldn’t remember all the faces that came to her aid. “I will. Thanks, Talanah.”

“When will you go running to the West?”

“I think I have most of everything I’ll need - if not, I’ll find it tomorrow morning. I should leave early, so I will get to the West shore with plenty of sunlight.”

“So that means you’re spending the night, right?” Aloy took one look at her Hawk’s devilish grin before shaking her head. “Nope. No drinking for me tonight. I need to go to bed early.”

Talanah pouted and stood up, stretching. /’you’re no fun. If you’re gonna be like that you can help me yell at people.”

Aloy laughed. “No, not tonight at least. I’ve got someone to meet, and I’d hate to disappoint.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes? An update? Don't expect those very often.


	3. To The Cliffs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nokoa *and* Nil? Yes

Meridian village had been completely and utterly destroyed during the Battle. It had all the disadvantages of being made of wood and on the ground where the corrupted paved a path for themselves. Ever since the rebuilding (that Aloy stayed only momentarily for, as the Nora needed just as much help, and they wouldn’t allow any outsiders to help) construction changed in favor of quality over quantity - and Avad had seen that, funding the making of solid stone foundations and proper brick-and-mortar mice instead of cheaper wooden ones. Many nobles hadn’t been happy about that - stone walls and smooth floors were for those who could *afford* it, they thought, but never protested lest they be asked to help fund it.

_Nobles_.

There were a lot more children around and fewer Carja. Despite the evacuations, some people still died as a result of the Battle - from the machines, the smoke, or rubble. The crops had been regrown but the soil just wasn’t quite the same. That’s where all the immigrants came in - they hunted, traded and shopped, which made up for the lack of Carjas and kept the economy going.

Nokoa was one of those immigrants (arguably a community leader), and a renowned warrior. Whenever Aloy would drop by she would tell tales of Snapmaws and Behemoths, machines she had never seen until she made it to Carja territory. Aloy had probably fought twenty each week but still paid attention to the Nora and injected useful advice because she saw a lot of herself in Nokoa. She had nearly died the Battle and risen to become one of the best hunters around, both animal and machine. Aloy was proud of her.

And she was here, again, listing to an edge-of-your-seat recounting of a showdown the Nora had last week - three Glinthawks and her near the cliffs next to Day’s Height.

“I was backing up and one swiped at me, so I tried rolling back and nearly fell off the cliff! Well, I did, anyhow - I managed to grab a ledge before I got halfway, but that really her my shoulder.”

“Did you dislocate it?” Aloy tried bringing herbs from the East, to bring pieces of Nora culture to Nokoa. They were currently sipping on some tea made from herbs her brother had given a small basket of from Mother’s Rise with tears and wishes to his sister. Nokoa always stored these gifts carefully in a box under the bed and almost always cranked it out whenever Aloy dropped by (perhaps she invited other Nora outcasts for tea). 

“No, just really put a lot of weight on it all at once.” She shrugged. The arm in question had bandages at the shoulder and Nokoa wasn’t moving it, but otherwise, she seemed fine. “So nobody told me that Glinthawks are still aggressive after they lose sight of you, because they were cawing for 10 minutes and my arm started to hurt. I climbed up anyways and landed an echo arrow into the canisters.”

“Sounds like the most exciting thing you’ve done all week.”

“It is,” Nokoa said solemnly. And Aloy knew why - even with HADES gone the machines were still fairly aggressive (less so than before however. Perhaps they sensed a change in the atmosphere) and unless you were incredibly skilled or at it with a group of at least three people, most hunters didn’t go out to fight machines anymore. That meant that there were more out in the wild and with the exception of guarded paths, there wasn’t much land for people to around or settle. Try as she might Aloy could not make that large a dent of the newer, more destructive machines. That meant solo hunts, which Nokoa’s stories seemed to revolve around, were hardly ideal. Day’s Height was a risky choice, even if Aloy felt bad for admitting it - there were fewer guards than normal and Glinthawks and Snapmaws crawling everywhere. The settlement was too poor to house a regular doctor so they had to be requested and make the journey up (which was unappealing and so expensive). “I’m thinking of heading to Sunstone to see if they have anyone else I can round up.”

“How is it, by the way? Janeva holding up all right?”

“The whole place has been half-empty since the Spire.” Most of the prisoners got their freedom for fighting (and dying) for Meridian during its time of need. However, four or five years does allow for criminal behavior to rise up again, especially since Carja territory was up for grabs. Aloy took care of who she encountered during her travels but they all ended up dead, not captured. “Janeva could go on vacation and nobody would know.”

“Do they?”

Nokoa shrugged with a smile. “I don’t know.”

The sun had set for some time now, the moon a quarter upon its path in the sky. “I should get to sleep. More stuff tomorrow.”

“I heard.” Aloy shot her a quizzical look and Nokoa held a hand up in defense. “I guessed. There’s the talk of strange stuff in the West but nobody here says anything outright about it, because the Carja have crazy ideas of what happens past the lake. Have you read their history?”

“Yeah.” She had, and she didn’t remember which Sun-King it was that was looking for his brother in the West, but he took a whole army with him and not one came back. “I mean, it sounds like a myth. What is it with all the tribes and hating West?”

Aloy laughed. “Except for the Oseram.”

“My point still stands.”

“I need to get going.”

They both stood up and Nokoa perked. “Hold up! I’ve got something I thought you might like.” She moved to a cabinet and pulled out some sort of ancient bracelet. Aloy collected tons of those to sell, but as Nokoa handed it to her she realized it wasn’t rusty or broken at all. It was still dirty but the glass hadn’t cracked and so the interior was still there, with the three sharp pieces of metal and numbers that she had an inkling of knowledge on. The back of it, all the metal links with snapped close together and stuck in an odd ellipse, but for the most part it was a piece of technology worth looking at, and maybe even fixing. She took it from her friend’s hand carefully and inspected it. “This is amazing. Where did you find this?”

“Surprisingly, on the arm of an Old One I found. There are ruins south of here, somewhere in the jungle - I can’t really remember when I fell into it, but as I looked for an exit I found a bunch of them lying on shelves. One of them had this in a box under the bed, but it was rusty and broken, so I just took this one. I cleaned it a little but I didn’t want to damage it until you got it.”

Aloy smiled and gave her friend a one-armed hug. “So now that I have it with me, you want to break it?”

The Nora woman gave her a look and she laughed. “I’ll see you soon, if the Goddess wills,” Nokoa said, and bid Aloy on her way.

Most if not everyone was tucked away in their homes (save for a merchant or two) and Aloy walked to the Southern Gate all by her lonesome. The arch had been repaired (and reinforced with good ol’ Oseram steel), but Aloy took no notice of it. She had gone through this gate a thousand times and she will most likely do it a thousand more. She felt more comfortable setting up camp in the wild - which is what she did, down the path on the right and following it before making a left out to the fields next to the jungle. She distanced herself far enough from the Grazers (and Longleg) for safety but still close enough to hear them, because it was easier to sleep with the noise. 

And the nightmares came back.

This time, she ran up the steps that led to the top of the spire, but there were so many holes she had to be careful of where she stepped, lest she trip and fall and waste time. Rost was up there, he was fighting HADES and Helios all by himself. There were explosions every few seconds - Aloy had to get up there, now.

A strange Snapmaw was in her way - what was it doing up here? Its legs were longer, the tail thinner, and looked like it was grinning. It was too narrow a path, the machine too quick and she was knocked off to the side, falling several stories, a hand reaching out for her caretaker with the strange Snapmaw grinning down at her.

And she woke up right before she hit the ground.

The moon hadn’t fully traveled the sky and the nights here were cool but Aloy found herself sweating and oven hot in her sleeping bag. The sounds of machines were barely audible and the sounds of wildlife were scarce. There was a bug on her face and she flicked it off as she sat up, mildly disoriented and heart still going at a million miles per hour. The feeling of falling was still in her chest and wasn’t going away. She needed to breathe.

Aloy slipped out of her bag and rolled in up hastily before shoving it in her pack, moving along the path some more. If she overrode a mount, one of the ones in front of the Southern Gate, she could start moving west. But there was a boat waiting, it would take less time than scaling the rise and jungle. She walked slowly, along the path back to the Meridian Village, rubbing her arms. It was too quiet for her liking - like the calm before the storm.

_ Her falling. _

Her heartbeat had slowed down but picked up at the memory. The night was not over - the city could wait a little longer.

She moved to the north face of the plateau nearby and scaled it, resting once in a while on jutting cliffs. Once she got to the top the moon was nearly done. There was a dead fire not so far, and no tents around it. She drew her spear and moved forward slowly.

There was a huff of laughter and she did a quick turnaround, pointing the spear at the face of Nil, who had an odd smile on his face, and both hands up. “I could have gotten you, huntress.”

“I still heard you.”

“I let you hear me.” He dropped his hands, one of which rested on his side, where Aloy knew he his a dagger he had ‘unstolen’ from a bandit. “Did you know I was here?”

“No,” Aloy admitted, and lowered her spear, although not quite loosening her grip on it. She had replaced the electrical one Sylens had left her with, opting to store the master spear and overdrive where nobody could find it. “Why are you near Meridian? I thought you weren’t good with people.”

“I would say people aren’t very fond of me, personally.” He moved to the dead fire and kicked something Aloy hadn’t seen in the dark - a body. Two bodies, three. All heavies. “But I would say people are less fond of these scum, wouldn’t you think?”

Aloy found it odd for thugs to be so close to the main city, and guards. “I tracked them down here - survivors of a small camp just northwest of here.” Nil explained, in that sort of wistful tone he used when talking about murder. “I saw a few escape before the alarm even sounded - and I simply couldn’t allow for another infestation. You have to get rid of all of them, or they’ll come back bigger.”

“I’d say you would’ve liked that.”

“And you’re right.” Nil sighed dreamily, and sat down on a nearby rock, gesturing for Aloy to sit. She did after doing a sweep of the premises. Nil noticed this and pouted. “Would you doubt my work?”

“Not _your_ work,” she replied, relaxing a smidge and letting the spear sit next to her. They were facing Meridian Village, where you could see most of the tops of buildings past the wall. The air was getting warmer and denser with dew, and insects were beginning to buzz. “Did you check for any traps?”

Nil made a motion to the bodies, where past them were some bombs deactivated. “I see.”

“It is always nice seeing you again, huntress.” Nil smiled. He never looked away from her, those steel irises almost shining in the dark. “Although I suppose it usually means that we had a camp to take down. How have you been faring since Tattle Burrow?”

Tattle Burrow was a new camp that sprouted, the biggest camp since HADES, and they had finally located it right next to Maker’s End some time ago. With Aloy’s knowledge of the ruins, it was mostly stealth all until they were spotted releasing prisoners.

“I’ve been doing fine.” Normally she’d ask if he’d heard any news about anything really, and it would usually go to finding a partner or strange people he’d come across. “I’ll be gone awhile.”

“And why is that?” Nil asked. It might’ve sounded like he was being polite but Aloy knew he was simply curious.

“I’ve got some information to investigate - the Forbidden West is bringing in new complications.”

Nil nodded. “I see.”

“I’m not sure what any of it means - new animals and new machine behaviors? It could be another HADES, at the worst.” 

“Or a new and wonderous discovery, at best.” Despite his personality and aura, Nil was a very good listener. “If I were you going, I would be skeptical but not unreasonably pessimistic.”

Aloy laughed and looked at him, finally, in the eyes. It no longer unnerved her as it did before. “Now that’s funny.”

Nil tilted his head. “You’re one of the most skilled fighters and a smart killer and an optimist.”

“Death is an inevitable fact of life - I simply don’t allow for it to taint my mood.”

They looked at each other and sat in silence for a moment, and Aloy remembered what Talanah said before. “Nil, if you’re not busy…I could use a partner when I head West.”

Nil looked ahead and pondered - he didn’t really have obvious facial expressions, most emotions carried over in his voice, but Aloy had learned to read him pretty well. “The Forbidden West is...forbidden. And other than killing bandits I’m not much good.”

“I’ve seen you take down machines.”

“Yes, an unsavory act.” he chuckled. “But no. If you were to encounter ruins of technology of the Old Ones I would be of no use. And I have an obligation to fulfill, anyhow.” He turned his head to her. “So the answer is no, for now. I might make changes if my obligation doesn’t work out as it should.”

Aloy accepted his answer with a nod. A thought popped into her head. “You were a soldier, right?”

“Born for war, raised in war, yes. What about it?” He didn’t sound biting or negative, simply respectful.

“Did you ever use large flares or X flares?”

“When the forces were planning attacks or raids on other villages, yes, but X flares were for general camps and such. I was a soldier - if my troop and I were in danger and we wanted to warn others, we’d shoot an arrow in their direction, or die in front of them with our swords up. It never happened to me, though. We were given a brief idea of what large flares were for, but nobody really cared because we were always winning.”

Aloy didn’t immediately respond to that. Nil was somewhat of a man with morals and standards, but the war reminded her of his biggest priority. “If you find any bandit camps, you’d better take care of them, I don’t know when I will come back.”

Nil shrugged. “We stopped being real partners a long time ago, Aloy. And I’ve been hunting bandits before I met you.” He leaned back until he was resting on his elbows.

“Have you found any new partners?”

“None as good as you, I’m afraid.” He looked up at her and winked. “You’ve ruined me for any other.”

She rolled her eyes and stood up - the first rays of dawn was bringing the sky to light. “I have to get going if I’m going to cover any ground.” She looked back and nodded. “Good luck with your obligation.”

“And to you. A word of advice before you go.” Nil paused for dramatic effect. “Be careful.”

Aloy allowed herself a small smile. “Ditto.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who had read it and given it kudos! It means a lot to me to know there is an audience for my stuff!!!  
I'm gonna go back and proofread the other two chapters lmao they're littered with mistakes.


	4. To Shadow Wood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aloy finally begins her journey West

Breath in, breath out.

Brightmarket in itself was largely unaffected by the battle (the paths that ran along the right of the ports, however, had been blasted to smithereens). Elida and her father’s estate was still standing, still full of flowers and wonderful smells. She passed by it, but it was still early morning and she didn’t expect Elida to be awake anyhow. 

The boat was a small one with an engine similar to what she’d seen before. There was a young woman who looked nervous and introduced herself. “Hello! My name is Avis. I’m here to take you to the um. Western shore.”

Aloy smiled and jumped down from the dock onto the boat swiftly, with little rocking from the boat. “Good morning, Avis.” The name didn’t ring right, just like Janeva’s, but that wasn’t Aloy’s decision, was it? Avis turned the engine on and fiddled with something before it lurched forward and was steered clear of the docks. After a moment Aloy turned her head to face her captain, sitting down on the bench. “Scared of the West?”

Avis nodded quickly. “I know there are guards there, but I grew up listening to tales of the Sun King Iriv, and then Sun King Basadid. The Daunt is the marker of Carja territory.” She swallowed. “A lot of kids would talk about what might be past Rustwash all the time.”

“What would they talk about?”

“Hordes of monsters, or machines. Maybe Iriv went there and the whole army died of starvation because there’s no food. My brother said it was because there’s a special flower there that makes people want to kill each other.” She blinked. “Sorry about that. You can tell none of them are very good.

“I wondered why anyone hadn’t thought that maybe he found something so great he stayed there with his army, but that sounds like an insult to the Sun King to a lot of people.”

Aloy nodded. “Why would a Sun King find treasure and not share it with his people?”

Avis nodded again. They were in deeper waters so she cranked up the speed, which increased the noise from the engine and so it was silently decided not to talk anymore. She had read Considerate Udain’s tellings of the Forbidden West. Different machines, different tribes, different biomes - but all of them sounded so different. They would have to travel far in considerably different directions in order for any of that to make sense, and then how would they have come back all the way? Of course, not every telling in those glyphs could be true, and it doesn't account for many who travel West and don’t come back. But it was scary only until you realize the reality that it simply didn’t make sense.

By the time they had passed the second island and the third was up next, the water widened out and the Daunt came into view - an invisible barrier that had Avis at the very back of the boat. It was quiet save for two Ravagers to the far left prowling. Aloy focused on the area past the Daunt - simply more land, with trees and bushes. A bit anticlimactic, if Aloy was being honest. The boat touched the shore and Aloy was quick to get off, checking again (out of habit) for her packs, her ammo, her weapons. Everything in place. She turned around to face Avis, who was looking nervously past her, past the Daunt. “It’s so quiet.”

Aloy couldn’t hear anything either - no creature or machines were here. “Thank you for dropping me off. If you can, tell the Sunhawk in the Hunter’s lounge to keep camp here, but don’t go to Shadow Wood yet.” The gate in question was near the top of Rustwash anyhow, she’d have to travel north for it.

Avis looked more than happy for an excuse to leave. “Absolutely. Good luck, ma’am. May the Sun shine upon you and guide your travels.”

“And to you, as well.” Avis pushed the boat off the shore and jumped it, leaving Aloy in a matter of minutes to start her journey. 

Aloy faced the West again. The sun was high up, almost midday. She turned on her focus, checking the map - she was in the black zone. Perhaps if she found a Tallneck further down, she could start mapping out the west more, and bring back data, if nothing else. She moved north along the shore until she found a way up the cliffs, scaled it, and continued. The camp of Shadow Wood should be just up - and Aloy wished that she had a machine to move forward faster. The land was barren but bumpy, and she didn’t want to step into a pothole. There was a flash of deja vu but she shook it off as the camp came into sight.

A sorry sight it was, too. Small and tents huddled close around a small fire pit. There were a few crates with supplies and weapons, but otherwise, there was nothing really that the camp could survive on for much longer. There was a small band of soldiers, mostly sitting under the shade provided by the stacks and tent, one patrolling around the area. Two generals were discussing something on a table by the pit, looking worse for wear. It was hotter out here, with no water or trees to absorb the heat from the sun. Aloy could feel sweat bead on the back of her neck and down her back. She’d changed into heat-appropriate weather earlier but it didn’t help much where there was no wind or shade.

She walked around the camp to an opening in the tents leading to the table. One of the generals took notice of her and turned from his companion to talk.

“Good morning. You must be Aloy - we were told to expect you. I’m General Radas of Shadow Wood post. I’ll answer any questions you may have.”

Aloy put a hand on her forehead to block the sun from her eyes. “Shadow Wood is just ahead, right?”

“Yes. Further west you’ll come to the ground that slopes down to meet the land below, and then Shadow Wood will be between the forest and a lake. It’s not tall but very hard to miss - it was built during the reign of Sun King Basadid as to reinforce the western border, and was decorated with gold and banners of the Sundom by Sun King Marzid.”

“Tall and shiny, not hard to miss, got it. Any machines on the way?”

“Not on top here, no. But there is a Broadhead site just beyond it, as well as a few scrappers here and there usually. But now it’s crawling with those animals.”

“I heard you called them wolves.”

“Danis called them wolves, ma’am. I’m not sure how he came to that name. We just say ‘the animals’ and there’s the understanding about what we’re speaking of.”

“Where’s Danis? I’ll talk to him.” Aloy asked, and Rahas cleared his throat. “Danis is, well, dead, may the Sun still shine on him. He died of his injuries many days ago, only recently has his body been sent home for burial.”

Aloy squinted her eyes. “Injuries? From the wolves?”

“I would say so, but he came back with his kill pale and with scrapes everywhere, talking nonsense and looking behind him every few seconds. We brought him in and treated his injuries but his health deteriorated every day, and when the machines pushed us back here, his heart failed.”

Aloy mulled over that a moment. “Was he poisoned?” She’d find out eventually but it’d be a good heads-up if any creatures ahead were toxic.

“Our doctor tried to figure out but there’s only so much he could do. Danis died the only soldier to come back from past Shadow Wood’s line of sight and didn’t even tell us what he saw.”

Aloy sighed in frustration. It always felt like the West was impossibly good at keeping its own secrets. “Anything else I should know? What can you tell me about wolves or machine behaviors?”

“There are some supplies we didn’t have time to grab before we left, so feel free to take them on your journey. As for the animal, the one Danis brought back was bigger than a boar, but not by much. It has fur thicker and longer than a goat’s, faster than a fox, stands on four legs and has a long tail. The one we found had brown and white fur and sharp teeth. One of the bites on Danis came from that set of teeth, or at least our doctor claimed.  
  
We never go past Shadow Wood’s line of sight for any reason and the machines have made sure nobody can. They do not interact with the animals but rather stay nearby and mimic behaviors - when we saw a group of them lay to rest, so did the Watchers nearby. Or that’s what we saw, not sure if they’re related or not.” Rahas gestured behind him, to the soldiers lying about. “You can ask them for more information if you wish.” 

Aloy nodded and thanked him, moving to walk back around and out of reach of the sun. She moved to the first group she found, two men sitting with their back on the crates. They were both young.

She crouched to join them. “Hello, miss. What can we do you for?” the one on the right-side spoke.

“I’m heading west to Shadow Wood, then going further to investigate the anomalies. Tell me what you know.”

The one she was talking to scratched at his face under the heavy metal helmet Carja guards wore. “I’ll tell ya - nothing good. Crawlin’ with those beasts, and machines. Past all th’ cliffs and such it’s all flat land I think. So we can only see as far as the cliffs before there’s a depressi’n, so the beasts took us by surprise. What did Danis, Sun shine and all that, say they were?”

“Mooves? Molves? Something with an ‘m’ in it.”

“He called them wolves.” Aloy supplied helpfully, and Mr.Right Guard grinned. “Some one’s been doin her homework! That’s right, he called them wolves.”

“I could’a sworn there was an ‘m’ in it.” The left guard mumbled.

“Danis was real smug about namin’ them, too, even though he was the only person in the party to come back and looked like hell.”

“Nothin’ worse than the uh, wolves. Did he give us a way to talk about one wolves?”

“Nah. He said ‘There were so many of the wolves, I’m sorry.’ or somethin’ of the sort. And when he was being treated and we kept askin’ him what happened, where was his partner ‘n stuff, he just kept smiling about how he ‘found the wolves’.’”

“What was that thing he was holding?”

“The animal?”

“No, dumbass. The red stuff.”

“It was some kind of powder? Or maybe sand or somethin’.”

“Red powder?” Aloy asked. These two were going a mile a minute and while it was useful to some degree, it felt like watching a very fast game of catch. “How did he get it?”

“Didn’t ya hear? Danis didn’t mention a lick of anythin’ else other than the stinkin wolves. He didn’t even tell us how far he went! Besides,” Right Guard sighed, “He was covered in tons of blood, some of it his, most of it probably not. So the power could’ve been red but the hand was also covered in blood, y’know?”

“Did you take it from him?”

“Why would we? We buried him and got the fuck out. Wolves were comin’ in with the machines.”

“And you left the kill back at Shadow Wood?”

“We didn’t have any reason to haul it back here. Besides, it was mauled to the max, man. Giant gash in the sides like a Scrapper had it for lunch, looked nasty and nobody was gonna have Daunt beast meat.”

Left Guard grimaced. “Gross, man. I don’t wanna even think about it.”

Aloy wondered why she didn’t get any of these details from General Radas. “Thank you. I’ll figure out what’s going on.”

“Good luck with that, Miss. Arivan and Danis were our best hunters and the West got their asses.”

Aloy stood up and walked around the camp, talking to the soldiers but nothing particularly new or interesting came up and she started towards the West, the sun beating down on her and a lot more information about what happened.

She had come prepared with plenty of water - and there was the lake when she got to the gate, but the thought reassured her little as midday blurred into afternoon, then to late afternoon, then finally at dusk did the sun let up the heat and the light, but by then her water supply was near three quarters finished. The heat turned to warmth, then as the first wind chills of the night came through she spotted it - a dark silhouette that laid on grounds lower than her, and with the faint light available she could see an unused path, banners, a stature and a doorway that was shut. There were walls extending from the main gate, that ran through trees that refused to climb the slope and around a lake. The night finally fell upon her as Aloy kicked the door open and walked inside to the awful, awful smell of rot and smoke. 

It was dark, pitch black, as the torches and fires and embers had gone out some time ago, and though there were windows outside, they were long and tall and few in number. It was a moonless night, and the stars would only illuminate so much. Aloy did not want to sit and wait or sleep where it smelled like this, so she moved outside again, climbing a small staircase that went inside upstairs, where it smelled less like death and more like dung. There was another staircase that went up the wall again facing east, and she climbed that as well. It led to the second-lowest tower that would normally have a guard or two on watch but was barren of anything save a few scrolls. She couldn’t read them in this light, but she could scan them with her focus and read the translation.

This tower didn’t have any stairs or obvious way up, so she guessed that to reach the highest viewpoint you had to either climb up or (more realistically there would be stairs inside for the armor-clad soldiers). She was tired and hot and wasn’t really in the mood to continue her search right now, and decided it would be better to do this in the morning light before heading west. The tower had some protection from the winds, and so she laid down, laying on her sleeping bag instead of in it, facing the stars - might brighter here without the lights from machines, torches, and the moon. There was wildlife on either side of her providing small chirps and buzzing - but Aloy was still unsettled, unable to sleep even after a tiring day. 

Nevertheless, after an hour or more of thinking and listening and steady breathing, her eyes closed shut and she slipped into rest.

Where the nightmares were.

She was near GAIA prime, broken and in shambles ever since GAIA had self-destructed - but then at once, it wasn’t. Aloy had never seen the mountain closed, but here she was, looking at some sort of entrance to GAIA Prime that existed before the destruction. She was atop a ledge near it, and she could see a figure clad in black stand between her and the entrance. They had a helmet and was facing the entrance. Aloy was absolutely freezing and couldn’t move, couldn’t call out to the person. She needed to move. She needed to save GAIA!

The ground shook, a warning. Then it shook more, jostling Aloy but never moving her from her place. Then it all stopped too abruptly to be real, and Elizabeth’s voice was calling to her from the suit over there, which was now facing her.  
  
_ You don’t belong here. You don’t deserve it. _   
  
Then the mountain cried and broke itself and Aloy was flung off the ledge, over the frozen waterfalls to the icy ground beneath.   
  
And she woke up right before she made contact.

Aloy sat up slowly, taking deep breaths to calm her heart. The sun wasn’t up and there was no visible moon to gauge the night. She propped herself on the railing, looking at her fingers and counting them, counting them again, looking at the state of them and making notes. The night was alive with nocturnal animals and Aloy nearly drifted back to sleep before a strange yell pierced her ears and jerked her awake again.

It wasn’t close but it was loud and sudden, and Aloy had never heard this from a machine or animal. Perhaps if she hit a grown man he would produce this noise but otherwise… she didn’t move immediately, still in physiological stillness, some part of her in flight-or-fight mode. But she was going to make a third option - investigate. She left her travel packs in favor of her spear and Shadow sharpshot bow, peeking over the top of the railing (mentally remembering her fiery hair).

It was too dark to see anything, especially since the land was still relatively flat against the sky. There were no silhouettes against the dusty ground, nor on the horizon. But just as sure as she was there, the howl came back, now accompanied with another, then another, until there was a chorus of yells and shrieks from whatever was making it. She couldn’t really tell the howls apart from each other so she couldn't guess how many exactly, and they seemed to come from both the right and the left of her position. There wasn’t anything to do but wait for light, or go down and hope to god whatever was making the noise. _Perhaps the wolves?_ she thought, pensive and unsure, crouching back down as there was no point looking if there wasn’t anything to see. It was strange, actually - there weren’t any machine lights. Didn’t General Rahas say there was a Broadhead site beyond the gate?

The callings stopped after some time and left Aloy with a ringing in her ears when submerged back in silence, and her thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've decided to make it a weekly thing? To be more consistent, I feel weird not having a deadline lol. I know the first few chapters were wonky and inconsistent in upload and length, but I promise from now on they'll be better.
> 
> Please let me know if you have any questions or feedback! Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So this isn't my first fic, but it's my first *real* fic in years. If you liked this chapter, please leave kudos/comments! It lets me know there's an actual audience for this, and also gives me warm feelings inside!!!


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